image: Epistemological Lessons from the Blue and Human Brain Projects
eNeuro is publishing a special collection of commentaries on April 30, 2021 on the neuroscience documentary In Silico. The collection, titled "Epistemological Lessons from the Blue and Human Brain Projects," features reactions to the documentary from leading neuroscientists as well as a discussion on brain modelling and massive research collaborations in general.
Noah Hutton's In Silico follows neuroscientist Henry Markram and his attempt to develop a computer model of the brain. The collaboration, called The Human Brain Project, received €1 billion in funding and pledged to build a full model within ten years. The documentary chronicles Markram and his team as the project stirs up controversy and fails to meet its deadline.
The special collection from eNeuro discusses the documentary and the larger issues surrounding brain modelling. The commentaries include:
What In Silico got wrong, from the perspective of Human Brain Project scientists
Next steps for large-scale, collaborative neuroscience initiatives
How charismatic leaders shape the field
The history and science of building brain models
"The movie is an excuse to think more broadly about how to approach the study of brain function," said Christophe Bernard, editor-in-chief of eNeuro, "and what modelling the brain means." The eNeuro special collection and In Silico will be available online on April 30, 2021.